Shell ornament



-INITED NSTATES PATENT einen'.

JOHN M. REYNOLDS,` or OHIOAGO, ILLINOIS.

`SHELL ORNAMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 291,401, dated January 1, 1884.

Application niet october 3,1882. (Model.)

To all whom t 11er/,y concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. REYNOLDS, a' citizen of the United States, residing inChicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and-useful Improve ment-s in Shell Ornaments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in shells for ornamental purposes, which shells belong to the species technically known as the Strombus or those which are spiral and have an external border or lip dilated into a wing, but more particularly described in its application to what is commonly known as the conchshell.7

The object of the invention is to provide a shell ornament adapted to be used as a vase, an ornamental hook, or a suspended basket for the reception of Aflowers, vines, Snc., the outside of which shall show only the naturally highly-polished and beautifully-tinted sur face of theshell,to the exclusion of the rougher and irregular parts, which would unt the shell for these purposes; and also to provide the shell ornaments above referred to with a base or opening to adapt it for such purposes. I att-ain this object in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis a perspective of a conch-shell in the condition Ordinarily sold upon the market, and Fig. 2 a side elevation of that portion of the same embodying my invention.

It is well known that the beauties of a conch-shell consist, principally, if not wholly, of the naturally highly-polished and beautifully-tinted inner surface of the shell, and that the value of the shell in the market is dependent upon the extent of the projection ofthe lip, and corresponding exposure of this inner surface of the shell. The size of the shell also affects its value if the extent of the exposure and tint of its inner Surface corresponds in area and brilliancy; but conchshells of the larger size are by reason of their proportions unfltted for mantel or wall orna ments, which unfitness is increased lby the somewhat unsightly appearance of the rough and irregular outer surface; hence such shells are usually employed to ornament the hearth of fire-places, or else placed on the floor in the corners of rooms. It is also wellknown among those accustomed to handling such shells that their interior polished and tinted surfaces form a symmetrical spiral, and that the tintsof this spiral (not exposed in the shell in its'ordinary state) are deeper as they approachthe inner4 part of the spiral-or, in other words, the most beautiful parts of the shell in its natural state are hidden from View. By my invention I propose to utilize alone this interior portion of the shell for vases or ornamental hooks or hanging-baskets by cutting or sawing away the rough exterior of the shell on the line a b, Fig. l, leaving only the spiral highly polished and tinted interior, which, when' separated from the rougher part, has the general appearance of a Cornucopia formed by wrapping a piece of paper about itself, except at the point of this interior of the shell which is somewhat hookshaped in its natural condition, as shown in Fig. 2. It is obvious, however, that in order to have the ornament so formed provided with only the natural polished and tinted sur` face, and in condition to stand. on end for a vase, as shown in Fig. 2, or to receive flowerswhen used as a hanging-basket, the cone end of the shell must be removed; hence Isaw or out the shell through on the line b c, as Shown in Fig. 2.

Cutting the shell in the abovedescribed manner to expose its beautiful surface only and adapt it to the purposes referred to greatly increases its value, as has been repeatedly and practically demonstrated, and, furthermore, the shell is adapted to useful purposes, which cannot be attained when in its natural state.

In addition to the increased value of the shell when converted into the ornaments above described, it may be added that in some species of the Stv/'ambas thepart removed is of considerable value for and is utilized in mak# ing shell jewelry, paper-weights, and other small articles for ornamental and practical purposes.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by L-ettersPatent, Is

A shell ornament consisting of the spiral naturally polished and tinted interior only of the Strombus species of shells, substantially as described.

JOHN M. REYNOLDS.

Vitnesses:

JNO. G. ELLIOTT, W. W. ELLIOTT. 

